>>Crunch<<

As a 9-1-1 operator, I can not even begin to estimate the number of calls I have taken from victims of car accidents. 

The range of emotions from people I talk to very widely.  I speak to people who are calm and rational, others who are so scared and distraught I can hardly understand what they are trying to tell me between the gasps for air, and the sobbing - and then there are the raving lunatics, the folks who get so upset the can (and do) start fist-fights at the scene.

Last night, while I had a few of the kids at #3 of 5’s Trap Shooting Match, the Mother of Five took #4 of 5 to her softball practice.  When I arrived home, the Mother of Five met me in the garage (before I could even get out of my car) and said “don’t freak out, I have something to show you.”  I was certain she had hit something with the van.  It turns out that our van was hit while parked in the Athletic Complex parking lot. 

She filled me in on the story. 

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It was at softball practice that there was some sort of commotion in the parking lot – and (after a few minutes) a couple of the other moms who recognized a vehicle that was hit as being similar to our van, approached the Mother of Five and asked her if she drove a silver Kia Sedona. 

The Mother of Five went out to the lot and was met with a young girl (newer driver) – who had completely broken down and was distraught over the whole ordeal.  She was frightened, embarrassed, and worried how (both) the owner of the car she hit, and how her parents would react. 

The Mother of Five went on to tell me the story of how she gave this young gal a hug.  She reminded her that the important thing was that no one was hurt, and that it was “only a car”.  She went out of her way to comfort this young lady, tried to calm her down, and generally “de-escalated” the whole situation. 

When the police arrived, the young lady said “Thank goodness it’s you”.  Apparently, she knew this officer, and that helped her calm down and relax a little too.  The police officer helped the Mother of Five and this young lady exchange information and went on his way.

After the commotion was all over with, one of the other moms (who I can only assume knew this young lady) pulled my wife aside and thanked her for being so kind, understanding, thoughtful, and compassionate.

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While it’s true that I am not happy about the van being hit, I am (first and foremost) thankful that this young lady was not hurt.  The damage is limited (only the rear bumper and tailgate were damaged) and can be repaired. 

I am also thankful for my wife.  I am thankful that she (not only) remained calm, but was able to comfort this young lady, and help her settle down and relax a little bit.  This young lady is someone’s daughter.  I am a father.  I am not naive enough to think that my children will not be involved in some sort of automobile accident at some point.  The Mother of Five treated this young lady the same way I would want someone to treat my children if they were in this young lady’s shoes.

The Mother of Five’s reaction is just one more of the “umpteen gillion-mazillion” reasons while I love my wife so very much!

Back to the Routine (updated)

Well, I have (for the most part) recovered from my RNC experience. This includes, but is not limited to...

The mega-gigantic-paycheck (that was neither as mega or gigantic as I had anticipated) has come... and gone... (thanks to the transmission on my Saturn). Then to top it all off (like the icing on a cake sent to you by your nemesis) let's not forget a new set of tires (all four) on the van, and brake shoes on BOTH cars.

I have gotten back into the routine at home with the family, and at work.

I have located BOTH my lost work ID, and the set of keys that I lost track of during RNC. They were both missing for over a week. When I finally "gave up" and reported them as "lost" (I work in a secure facility), and the were deactivated, they both showed up (separately) the following day... The ID was located in a pile of dirty laundry (that I had checked NUMEROUS times during the week), and my keys and key-fob were left in my parents car (that I was using while mine was in the shop).

For those of you who know me, this will be of no surprise to you whatsoever. For those of you that are less familiar with me - and my tendency to a.) loose things, and b.) kook out until I find them... Take a gander at the preface on this "oldie but goodie" of a post titled A "Key" to Happiness.

I have also been trying to get back in the groove with my radio buddays Ron and Fez (whom I missed terribly). I missed some good radio while busy, but fear not... I recorded the show!

Between the RNC, other work obligations, overtime, and family obligations... I have not had a full set of days off from my work schedule since Mid August... Yup.. I have had a total of four days of in 36 days.... So, with my first set of four days off quickly approaching, I am gearing up to re-start the home projects I left half finished back in August... Some wood staining and varnishing.

Wow FOF, how do you do it... When are you going to get any R & R time for yourself?

Glad you mentioned it. The duck hunting season opener is just around the corner. That means some quality time with my friend Ed (the same Ed who hid my keys in the preface listed above) up at his cabin. Duck, squirrel, and grouse hunting!!

What's even better about this year, is that #2 of 5 has enrolled in a Firearms Safety Course, and after (successfully) completing the program, he can (and was invited to) join us at Duck Camp this year!

It will be so much fun to have one of the boys up there with me this year... and for Ed and I to have an opportunity to pass along some of our favorite traditions.... (Only, I promise that #2 of 5 will not do any drinkin' or cigar smokin'.... I'll leave that to Ed and me!)

Here is last year's story from Duck Camp... (Click it.. It's a link) Enjoy!

UPDATE: #2 of 5 passed the firearms safety test with a 90%!! I am VERY proud of him! He has one last hurdle... The class is holding a life-fire shoot... As long as he can demonstrate safe gun handing in a "real life" situation, he will receive his Firearms Safety Certificate!

A Close Call!

The Mother of Five has been telling me stories of how the front end of our van has started shimmying, and squeeling when she stops. I too have been able to confirm that, but due to "schedule conflicts", I have had to put it on the back burner

With hunting season approaching, days off that are few and far between, and the temps dropping - as much as I did not want to, I decided to take on the (suspected) problem with the van. Today is my 3rd of 4 days off in the past 36 days... So I decided to make the best of it.

It was time to replace the break shoes.

The van has 50,000 miles on it, and we have had it just under three years now - so it was not shocking or surprising to me.

Actually, I have been putting off replacing the breaks in my car as well... Now I had no more excuses to "put off till tomorrow, what I know needs to be done today" (That is one of my unfortunate downfalls in life)

I used the opportunity of driving the "vehicularly challenged" #1 of 5 to work this morning (for an early shift) to get motivated for an early start to the day.

I dropped #1 of 5 off at work, and ran to the auto parts store (that advertised a sale on break shoes).

After running around to three stores to find the break shoes - I pulled the first tire off, and discovered I had a much bigger problem that the break shoes....

Yup folks... There was a "shimmy" alright... For those of you that do not know what you are looking at in the above photos... Let me share with you...

You are looking at a "close call" to collecting on the Mother-of-Five's life insurance policy, and (if that was not bad enough) - an opportunity to cash in on (potentially) life insurance on "four of the five" kids... (#1 of 5 is "life-insurance-less")

Or, in other words... Photographic evidence of a bad husband and/or father...

The break shoes were worn very low, and if I had not done them today, I would be doing them in January or February, so replacing them was not a total loss.

For my non-Minnesotan readers - Let's just say you DO NOT want to be working on, in or under a car in the deep winter months. It can be "finger amputation" cold at times...

I just spent OVER three thousand dollars on the transmission for my car 6 days ago, and over one hundred and fifty dollars for break shoes for both cars this morning, but now I had no choice but to replace the tires on the van too...

I guess you can say "when it rains, it pours"...

Other than paying for the transmission, break shoes, and tires for the van, the 1st half of the job (breaks on the van) went pretty easy... I only had one bolt on the calipers that "refused to cooperate".

I broke one "Breaker bar" on it (albeit aluminum), but even more shocking was that I also broke a 3/8 inch socket extender trying to remove the bolt.

I hope tomorrow goes a little easier cheaper... Wish me luck.

R.I.P. - 1994-2008 - Teal Green Ford Escort

1.9 liter, 4 cyl, 4 door sedan, 5 speed manual, 35(+) mpg



#1 of 5 (the wayward / prodigal / M.I.A. son) called home to tell us that he crashed it for it's fifth and final time last Saturday. (That's the 5th crash in less than a year for anyone who is counting....)

Man, does this kid have a guardian angel or what... 5 crashes, and (thankfully) NO ONE (from either vehicle - each time) has been hurt...

This was the first car that the Mother of Five and I bought together after getting married, and has since been passed back and forth within the family over the years. This little vehicle required little to no maintenance over the years... It was EASILY and BY FAR the lowest maintenance vehicle I have ever had the pleasure to own...

Timeline
1994-1996 - Leased by us.
1996-2003 - We chose not to renew the lease - Vehicle was purchased by my parents through us.
2003-2007 - Back in our hands after Parents replaced it.
2007-2008 - Given to #1 of 5 as a means to get to work - abused (literally) until it's untimely death.

While my parents had the 'scort - it was totaled in a hail storm. My parents kept the salvaged vehicle and drove it for a while - then gave it (back) to us. The "golf ball" surface of the vehicle was a running joke at my work, and particularly with my good friend Bill - "The King of Clubs" who said he could recognize the car instantly due to the hail damage... It was always worth a good laugh between us.

We gave it to #1 of 5 as a gift for doing as well as he was doing (on his own). The freedom the car provided quickly changed his lifestyle into something a bit more "reckless". Unfortunately, he did not use the newfound freedom to continue his "progression", and instead, the car became a tool of "regression".

This news (about the 'Scort) is (in my humble opinion) a blessing in disguise.. Now he will be unable to pay for insurance, let alone a replacement vehicle for some time to come. "Hoofing it" or taking the bus for a year or so is bound to help him appreciate what he had, and hopefully (when the time comes) his next vehicle, and the freedom it provides a "wee bit" more.

Little 'scort... Thank you for your years of faithful service. You will be sadly missed, and thought of fondly. Rest in peace my little friend... It is well deserved.

ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND!!!

No, I did not hit the lottery...

But, I did hit 100,000... (One hundred thousand!)

It happened on my way to work this morning.

It will live to see another day

In true "King of Clubs" fashion, I will attempt to dupicate one of my close friend (and fellow blogger) - Bill's favorite type of posts - The Auto Repair Post! (You will find many posts about home auto repairs there, and much talk about both his Suburban (the 'Burban), his wife's Jeep, and his former Truck on his blog!

Well, I was about ready to throw in the towel on the 'Scort. (Escort). It slowly began a "death breath" of an idle. I could not keep it running while at stop lights, or sometimes even on a quick deceleration. Since the clutch is bad, the front struts (and strut supports) are bad, one of the rear leaf springs is bad, and the front windshield is bad - I was getting close to thowing in the towel. But after a couple of days of dealing with the 'Scort's "Death Breath" - I started hearing a high pitch whistle under the hood. One night after work, I popped the hood and sure enough, I found at least one significant flaw.

I used high temp metal tape to repair the boot, and the next day the 'Scort was running as smooth as silk again (minus the windshield, strut, strut support, leaf spring, and clutch issues). The next day I ran to Wolf Motors (my local Ford Dealership) and ordered the parts (they did not have them in stock).

I ordered them, and got them installed. Now I need to have a meeting (with the voices in my head) if I should put a new clutch in the 'Scort. I am leaning that way, but we will see.

(Left is "Before" and right is "After" in both the top and bottom row of shots.)

(Should be clickable for larger versions)

I tried to get a picture like THIS one, but because of a couple of issues (like the size of the 'Scort vs the size of the 'Burban - and the size of me vs the size of Bill - It was not possible. I wanted to get a "comic" version of it, but try as I might, I could not fit under the hood.

Bill, this post is dedicated to you my friend!

MPG / YTD

Say what you want about my little Escort, but I think the numbers say it best!
(Images can be enlarged by clicking - for ease of reading)

For thoes of you intrested, credit for these charts and graphs go to my free account at Twin Cities Gas Prices (or it's affiliated site Minnesota Gas Prices - If you have an accout with one, you have an account in the other). Great sites, and they give you a free "Fuel Logbook" which tracks your fuel purchaces and usage, and spits it out in the formats below. It's very easy to use, and I've been doing it since 2004. Give em a try!

Grinding Metal

Well, I've talked about my 190k mile, "just starting to slip" clutched, suspensionally challenged 1994 Escort (that also suffers with many other numerous "ailments") before.

About a week (maybe two) ago, my Escort started making a noise (when you used the brakes) that makes your teeth ache. Oh, it probably does not make EVERYONE'S teeth ache - If you are a foot soldier in the "Army of the Oblivious", then your teeth wont ache. But, since you are reading this blog, I'll assume you are not. I will assume that you will know, or at least be able to recognize the noise I am talking about. It's one of those noises that once you have heard it, you will never forget it (again, assuming that you are not among the minions of the "Army of the Oblivious"). It's one of those noises that if you are the driver, and apply the brakes, not only can you hear, but you can feel it in your teeth, bones and joints. (By "joints" I don't mean the little white ones that you roll yourself and keep in a baggie under the seat.) Nope, this is the sound that will give you goose bumps, night sweats, and nightmares!

As you can see in the pictures of the drivers side brake rotor and the old break pads (below) it is obvious what has struck fear in my heart, and cause me to use a "feather-foot" on the breaks last week! I put it off as long as I comfortably could (and even a couple days past that), but I could take it no longer. I could not put my trusty little Escort (which has treated me so well all these last few years) through any more of this unholy torture.

So, in the middle of a 3 day stretch of overtime (3am-3pm) I spent what very precious little time I had between getting home from work and having to go to bed (I shoot for 8 pm when I have to be up at 2am) replacing the brake pads on the car.

As you can see, (as I suspected) the drivers side rotor was the "grinder". The passenger side was not as bad, but was in "close to desperate" need of being changed also.

From start to finish, the job took me 3 hours, and $30.00. (Broken down as follows)

* The first 30 minutes was gathering tools, getting the car jacked up, and removing the tires.

* The next 30 minutes were spent visiting with a neighbor who stopped by.

* I spent the next hour carefully disassembling the drivers side caliper to get the brake shoes (so that I would be able to successfully "reassemble" it again), replacing the pads, and (successfully) reassembling the whole apparatus.

* The passenger side only took me 30 minutes to disassemble, replace and reassemble (it went VERY easy once I was familiar with the parts and layout of the caliper).

* The last 30 minutes was spent cleaning up, and taking the car out for a break in of the new pads.

I did discover a couple of things while working on the brakes.

#1 - My LOCKING C-CLAMP has broken. Dont ask me how or when, but the spring inside the hadle broke in the middle, rendering it useless. I will need to replace the spring (if possible) or replace the whole clamp. Disappointing..

#2 - It's time I buy myself a good breaker bar. I have never had one, and use a old aluminum tent pole, but the pole has seen better days.

After replacing the pads, I took the Escort out for a little spin to "break-in" the new pads. While out driving around a few thoughts came to mind. Those thoughts became another entry titled "Taking things for Granted". Feel free to check it out.

But now that the job is done, the breaks work perfectly! I sure wish the rest of the car did...
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Cars I have owned or driven

All this recent talk of vehicles got me thinking about the cars I have owned or driven over the years...

1. 1976 Ford Granada
    (actual photo of my car)

2. 1984 Ford Ranger - "Forest Green" with a tan interior
    (actual photo of my car)

3. 1984 Toyota Corolla

(not an actual photo of my car - but it looked just like this one)

4. 1990 Olds Cutlass Calais

    (Yup, that is my Olds being hauled away to "Cars for Courage")

5. 1994 Ford Escort

     (actual photo)

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Other cars I did not drive "regularly"... (wife's car(s))

1. 1990 Ford Tempo
    (not actual photo)

2. 1996 Ford Winstar

    (actual Photo)

3. 2005 Kia Sedona
    (actual photo)

A couple of quick updates

#1 - Snow Caves -
Wow... Not much left of 'em

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

#2 -
Replacement Vehicle...

Originally I found the Kia Rio intresting.
But I found another option in the Hyundai Accent.

Compare them against each other HERE



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -




#3 - Boombox

Oh, one other thing.. I bought myself a little "treat" the other day. My little MP3 CD boombox bit the dust a few months back. It was great because I would record my favorite XM Radio program - The Ron and Fez Show (Love that East Side Dave!), and burn them on CD-RW's. Then play them while I was at work... Alas... the boombox bit the dust, so I started using a MP3 CD walkman with a small FM Transmitter. But the CD-RW's starting failing (you can only use them so many times) and the batteries I went thru seemed pretty wasteful.

I started researching other options, and found the Coby CD-475. It did all that the last boombox did, but this one has a USB port on the front! I only need to upload my radio shows (173mb woth) on to a thumb drive, and then I can play them right thru the Boombox! I cant wait!!!

I have a very busy week comming up, and more overtime than I have seen in a very long time. You may not here much from me in the next week or so - wish me luck!
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